When dreams become reality…
Who are the most important loves in my life? My first love is God. If my relationship with him is off then everything else is out of balance. If you want balance in your life then start here.
My second love is my husband Bryan. My responsibilty to Bryan is to submit to him. I am not supposed to nag him or criticize him. God didn’t call me to be Bryan’s Holy Spirit he called me to be a helper to him and a partner. Sometimes I have to be reminded what my function is as a wife. When life gets to me and I am frustrated with a circumstance I need to remember that the unity of the two of us is stronger than me on my own. I have to choose how I am going to react to circumstances and if I go ahead and choose then when things happen I will make the right choice.
My third love is my children. My children are a gift from God that he has entrusted to me. It is my responsibility to pray over them and teach and train them. My heart is that all my children will serve God all the days of their lives. The Power of a Praying Parent helps me to pray prayers for my children.
Keeping my loves in right order is my responsibility. It is my responsibility to tend to these relationships and protect them. May I be diligent in all things.
With 41 staff and Dream team volunteers from ROCK Church, we traveled to Newspring Church in Anderson, SC. I love the hospitality at Newspring and the selfless heart of the staff and volunteers. They really do care and it oozes out of every part of them.
Bringing volunteers has made the experience sweeter. What we’ve seen and heard at Unleash is infectious. Even the youth took away something tangible.
I am thankful that I was able to take this time.
Every day I wake up and go through a sorta routine. I am reminded when I look in the mirror that my body is definitely not perfect. I have started to see the lines on my forehead and around my eyes from all my animated expressions. I breathe in and out, my heart beats and pumps blood to my body. I am alive.
Being alive is a wonderful gift. I have the opportunity to choose how I live each day. Will my day be spent blessing others with my actions or words? Will I allow my thoughts to control what actions I take? Will I be in a bad mood and put everyone around me in a bad mood?
My desire is to be like Paul who gave everything to serve Christ. He “died” every day to serve Christ. How much easier would it have been for Paul to have done what he wanted when he was falsely accused, thrown in prison, or beaten? Instead he sang and worshipped even in prison. Paul died to his desires, his wants, his thoughts, and gave himself completely to the service of God.
I am not dead yet, but I am working on dying everyday.
Today, begins 21 days of Awakening. The definition of awaken is to wake up or arouse. What does God want to wake up in me?
In a period of fasting and prayer, I can choose if it will be just a sacrifice of the food I am fasting from or a sacrifice of my will. I want to lay everything at the feet of my Father and say,”It’s all yours, every part of me, everything I have, accomplish in me what you want.”
Whether you are giving up sugar, drinking fruit juices only, giving up meats and processed foods, or going on a media fast ask God “What do you want to wake up in me?” Maybe, he wants to wake up a dream or bring you closer to him. I don’t know what he wants to wake up in me, but I am preparing for it to happen.
Last Sunday, Bryan preached a great message. He gave 7 keys to fasting. I have been pondering them all week. I hope they will be a help to you through this journey.
2. Make a commitment- if you are fasting caffeine stick with it
3. Prepare yourself spiritually
4. Prepare yourself physically
5. Put yourself on a schedule
6. End gradually
7. Expect results
In Ezra 8:21 Ezra proclaimed the people fasted and humbled themselves before God. Today, I come and humble myself before the God who created the universe. Thank you God for loving me even when I am unlovely. I lay aside my desires and ask you to use me how you choose. Awake in me your plans for me.
So I have made it 6 months as the senior pastors wife and haven’t been fired. I wonder if any senior pastor’s wife has ever been fired. I used my old friend google and only found results of “pastors and their wives being fired from churches, shootings, and being fired up.” Since google seems to be the authority on all things relevant, then I guess I would have to say no.
The last 6 months has been a journey for me. Being a pastor’s wife for 14 years I thought I had this thing down pat, but it’s different when your husband is leading the whole thing and you are with him. There are some areas in my life where God has been cautioning me.
One area is about positional pride. It is very easy to say, “I’m the senior pastor’s wife I shouldn’t be doing that.” I believe that thought is a lie the enemy brings as a vehicle for pride. My heart has been to do what ever is needed no matter the job and that shouldn’t change now.
Jesus is the best example of the leader I want to be. He came to earth in the form of man and washed the the nasty feet of his disciples. This job was for the lowest servant in the house, and Jesus the son of God did it. Wow!
I want to have a heart quick to serve no matter the task.
